Climate Change Debate Issues for Canada NASAs Evidence of Climate Change Sea level rise Global sea level rose about 17 centimeters in the last century The rate in the last decade however is nearly double that of the last ID: 473586
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Slide1
Why We Care
Climate Change Debate
Issues for CanadaSlide2
NASA’s Evidence of Climate Change
Sea level rise
Global
sea level rose about 17 centimeters in the last century. The rate in the last decade, however, is nearly double that of the last century.Warming oceansocean showing warming of 0.302 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969.Global temperature riseEarth has warmed since 1880. Most of this warming has occurred since the 1970sSlide3
NASA’s Evidence of Climate Change
Extreme
events and natural disasters
Ocean acidificationSince the Industrial Revolution, the acidity of surface ocean waters has increased by about 30%Declining Arctic sea iceShrinking ice sheets, Glacial retreat, and Decreased snow coverGlaciers are retreating almost everywhere around the world including in the Alps, Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alaska and Africa.Slide4
Climate Change Deniers
A
small number of critics continue to deny that climate change exists or that humans are causing it. These individuals are generally not climate scientists and do not debate the science with the climate scientists directlyNot surprisingly, the deniers have received significant funding from coal and oil companies, including ExxonMobil. Slide5
Arguments of Climate Change Deniers
Climate
change is not occurring
The global climate is actually getting colder The global climate is getting warmer, but this is a natural process that has occurred before in Earths cycle of development The global climate is getting warmer, in part because of human activities, but this will create greater benefits than costs. Too expensive and too late to combatSlide6
Fighting Ignorance
While global warming is a natural occurrence due to greenhouse gases, human activity has greatly increased the speed of warming which has led to serious and irreversible changes in the Earth’s ecosystems
The
United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is one of the largest bodies of international scientists ever assembled to study a scientific issue, involving more than 2,500 scientists from more than 130 countries. concluded that most of the warming observed during the past 50 years is attributable to human activities. Slide7
The Canadian Arctic
Canada’s arctic regions show some of the most dramatic signs of climate change
Sea ice is shrinking and the seasonal melt is happening earlier
Polar bears are in danger of extinction due to decreasing habitatArctic communities face shrinking shorelines and transport problems due to the melting permafrostSlide8Slide9
Climate Change Optimists
Some people in Canada are looking at the good side of climate change- WHAT?!
Argue that the shrinking arctic snow pack will create new agricultural opportunities in Canada’s north
Argue that there will be easier access to oil and natural gas deposits in the arctic sea bed